Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1887-04-30
rOBACUO 10 LONaa aR kiAa.
a waning Industry and the Distress u Causes
Virginia Town.

virginia Town.
A Lyrchburg letter to the Springfield Re-
publican says: While the mineral regions
in the southwestern part OF Virginia are
booming with their new. found wealth and
the fair Shenandoah Valley Is prospering In
her varied pursuits OF stock raising, dairy ing
and other branches OF small farming, the to.
hacco district is depressed to the last degree.
Lynchbuig, Danville, and the smaller towns
devoted to the sale aud manufacture of the
weed sit de ejected, and the tobacconist mourns
in the warehouse. There Is q widespread
vail about hard times throug hout the country
and great deal Of actual suffering among
the lsborers dependent on the once busy
factories for bread. In the absence OF work,
there Is plenty talk, and every body Is discuss.
ing the cause OF the great depression in the
trade which has been the chief industry OF
our town In the hundred years Of her exist.
ence. Overproduction and the inferior quail.
ity OF the TOBACCO grown Is the universal ex.
preston of opinion rs the cause OF the
trouble. Tobacco Is now raised in many dis.
tricts where its culture was within a few
years wholly unknown, and the quality In
many regions Is much better than most OF
what now comes to this market
Various are the reasons ASS gued for tho de-
generacy of our staple crop Some persons
attribute II in great degree to the use OF new
and interior fertilizers and the different
method OF caring the plant Probably the
| chiet cause may be found IN what is called
the "one-horse'' farming OF the present day.
Most OF the tohSc 20 is made by negroes
who have bought little farms or are renting
| land. They are usually very poor, have
| thriitess methods and possess lew OF the ap.
pliances for success ul farming. A leau OK or
| ill-ted mule is the dependence for plowing.
| Their Implements are rude and worn. The
| tobacco made is OF the most indifferent qual.
ity and is cured perchance on \ rail In some
| fence corner Tobacco of this descri pton has
l been sold low II hnnAro,i
weight, and for months past the price gen.
orally obtained has hardly paid for the cos,
OF cultivation. Toe result OF all this IL oi
course extreme poverty in the country. In
| the city the aspect Of affairs is calcula ated 70
| cause deep anxiety. Many OF the dealers
have large stocks on hand " ith little demand
Tor their wares With the factory hands
there Is much real suffering. The colored
people have had monopoly OF the factory
work, and rs there are, with here and there
An honorable exception, wofully thriftless
| and eXtravagant III their habits, now that
| there is no work TO be had many Of them are
| on the verge OF starvation. The city mortu
| ary report tor the races always shows an eX
| cess tor the colored people, and the las,
month gives a dreary proportion OF three &c
one in the desih-rA,e. Tney are . patien
, They are the better enabled to tide over suct
, | dull seasons, as many Of the women seet
+ | and find domestic service, do laundry work
| and turn their at .entio to huckstering wheI
, | tor them by private benevolence, and eff
, | cient aid is rendered by relief societies II
: | and out of the churches.
r II is evident that ip the present condition
: | Of the tobacco trade, other industries must b
: | looked To for revenue or dire will be the re
q | suit TO the community. Many suggestion
| find their way into the papsrs, such shoe
i | cotton and canning factories, paper mills
r creameries, etc. A scheme Tor q paper mil
r | and box factory Is already under way, and
I | Is to be hoped only the beginning OF . serie
i | Of new enterprises waich Will divsrsif
, trade and bring fresh lie to our town
There is abundant capital waiting for invest
, ment The Lyuchburgers have worshippe
the tobacco idol for hundred years, an
A things look now ~ II they are to fiud 1t
, false god, through which they have come {
grief. 1t is said that when calsmities com
. | upon the heather they lay all the blame upo
their idols, aud taking them down froI
I | their shrines, they are discarded for othe
gods, after being well kicked and cuffed fo
a having betrayed their devotees. To judg
\ from tho tone Of the press, which is iull
I | denunciations OF the once reverted idol
a | Tobaccotown, our citizens are about to ents
| upon u new epoch.